Sometimes visiting a city is like being in a dreamstate, where fantasy seems to cohabitate with reality. That happened to me when I visited a Bavarian city that’s a 2 hour train ride from Frankfurt and that doesn’t always get mentioned in guidebooks on Germany, even though it’s been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.
A Sense of Déjà Vu
The first night and ensuing morning while taking my jogs in a city that has been described as “Franconian Rome” (because of its seven hills), I felt as if I knew what was going to be around every corner, experiencing a noticeable sense of déjà vu, even though in this lifetime, I’d never visited the city that’s been in some form of existence for the last 14 centuries.
I have often dreamed of wondering around the corridors of hospitals though I’ve not been in one as a patient since childhood. Well, I bunked down at the Hotel Residenzschloss, which once housed Europe’s first modern hospital, built in 1789 through the efforts of the benevolent Prince Franz Ludwig von Erthal. He really cared about his subjects, so much so that he even provided health insurance for those employed in trades. Now, the building features work tables longer than hospital beds and nightwatchmen who often stand guard at the entrance and entertain guests with guided tours. They make sure you don’t have wander around directionless like I have in other dreams.
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By Anne Gordon
Tell a North American fisherman that he can catch fish with a spider web and he’ll scoff at the idea. Then tell him that a rattle made of coconut shell and bamboo is a sure thing for luring sharks and the response will be equally incredulous.
In Papua New Guinea off the northern coast of Australia, fishermen gather spider webs from the forest at daybreak. Attached to kite tails, trailing webs when skimming across the water lure drummer fish to the surface. Then, tangled in the fine strands the fish are drawn in.
As for luring sharks, David Kirkland, an Australian photographer, had first-hand experience of that dangerous undertaking. Joining what he thought was a seasoned “shark caller” he paddled out to sea in a flimsy outrigger canoe. Lowering a coconut shell and bamboo rattle into the water his companion shook it. Within minutes a curious shark emerged from the inky depths. At the sight of the monster, the Papuan – obviously a novice – took fright. Tipping the dugout, he unseated Kirkland who landed foursquare on top of the shark. “I shot off that bloody shark like an Exocet” said Kirkland. “My camera equipment … sank to the bottom.
In the ocean surrounding Papua New Guinea, divers can expect to see scorpion fish, ghost pipe fish, pygmy sea horses swaying beside giant sea fans, Eagle Rays advancing like an army of predatory space-age birds and sinuous evil-eyed eels peering from cavities in the coral reef.
Schools of barracuda swirling in glittering funnels lit by a filtered sun sweep out of the blue, while silver tip sharks cruise by, slow and menacing. From the daintiest sea slug to the gargantuan proportions of a gliding whale shark as it sups on masses of krill each time it opens its mouth, this ocean with its islands, atolls and coral reefs is ranked among the world’s finest diving destinations.
Land exploration in Papua New Guinea is equally magical. Western crowned pigeons and Birdwing butterflies live alongside jungle wallabies, possums, tree kangaroos and echidnas who at mating time link up with a train of other lovelorn males to pursue a single female for sometimes four weeks at a time.
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Formally the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States, located on the North Bank of the Potomac River and is surrounded by the states of Virginia to the Southwest and Maryland to the other borders.
Washington D.C. is one of the most quintessential American cities there is. There are so many things to do in DC that it’s easy to get lost in all the American history. Renowned DC attractions like the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, and the U.S. Capitol building pull in a majority of tourists, but there’s so much more to do and see! Arguably the best time to visit the Capitol is during summer.
More on Summer Sites, Attractions, and Tourism in Washington, D.C.
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By Rob Ashford
British Columbia, the Klondike and Yukon territories can give a wonderful and awful feeling of isolation in winter. Long thin empty roads stretch endlessly into the distance. This place makes you feel vulnerable. On one memorable morning, in the early light, glowing in bright neon, was a sign outside the motel reading “minus 18 degrees C”. Looking around, it appeared through my sleepy vision that a cruel phantom had breathed a cloud of ice and snow throughout the landscape and I wondered to myself, “what the hell am I doing here!” At that time in my life, I had never before experienced such traumatic cold.
If ever a highway should be experienced, the Alcan is it. Built due to the threat of a Japanese invasion in 1942 by the US military, it runs for 1378 miles from Dawson Creek BC to Delta Junction AK. During the summer months, big rigs and heavy tourist traffic really churn the highway up, and road construction is constant. In winter, seeing the road is the issue.
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On June 4-5, 2009, President Obama visited the eastern German city Dresden. You can follow in the president’s footsteps for free or low cost, and within a few blocks get a taste of Germany and a feel for how the leader of the free world travels while abroad.
The Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski
President Obama doesn’t do the Motel 6 when he’s on the road. Nope, he stayed in a group of rooms called the Crown Prince Suite (which includes four bedrooms and two salons and one kitchenette where smoking is allowed) which cost the American taxpayers 5,000 Euros that particular night of June 4. He checked out the next day. But given that the US government booked the hotel’s 200-plus rooms for that night (basic rooms go for 200 Euros a night according to my hotel guide), it was an expensive night for taxpayers.
I walked through the nicely furnished suite of rooms numbered 239-245, seeing the room President Obama slept in (Room 244). I even touched the bedspread! The hotel guide wouldn’t tell me what he ate though. Normally, the public can’t go up here (unless they book the suite), but they are allowed to enter the lobby just like President Obama did, and for free. Ask for a brochure at the counter.
Located at Taschenberg 3, 01067 Dresden, Germany. Phone +49 (0) 351 4912 812.
Inside and Outside The Historic Green Vault of The Royal Palace (Residenzschloss)
President Obama got a tour of the Das Historisches Grunes Gewolbe (The Historic Green Vault), taking in a place with some of the most lavish jewels, sculpture, and miniatures that I’ve ever seen. What I found most interesting were the ivory crucifixes that had Christ in different positions that I haven’t normally seen him in, and I was also captivated by the intricately-made chess pieces. President Obama also talked for an hour with German Chancellor Merkel in one of the special rooms called The Coat-of-Arms Room. It’s also called the Bronze Room or Room Number 6, which is publicly accessible during a visit. Following his private discussion, a joint press conference was held just outside The Historic Green Vault under a glass roof, which is also publicly accessible.
Much of Green Vault’s collection was procured during the time of August the Strong from 1723 to 1730. One must go through a chamber before entering and leaving in order to keep the room temperature the same (President Obama did, too). There’s an air of solemnity in this place as people ponder the relics. When you purchase a ticket, you have a 15 minute window to get inside, and can stay there until closing if you want. You’re also expected to take an audio guide with you, too, and if you don’t use it (I don’t like using audio guides), people give you funny looks.
Located on Sophienstrasse and Schlosstrsse streets. Phone for reservations to The Historic Green Vault is +49 (0)351-4914-2000.
The Frauenkirche
It is one of the most beautiful churches in Europe (first completed in 1743), and its existence today is even more remarkable when you consider that it was utterly destroyed in the firebombing raids in February of 1945. Yet with time and about 100 million Euros of donations from around the world, the church rose from the heap and was fully rebuilt in 2005. Visitors like President Obama must’ve noticed the church’s exterior, where you can see blackened stones in place like checkerboard squares: that’s because those stones were recovered from the ruins and put back in place. I took in a noontime devotions and organ music service that was heavily attended. I was captivated by the beautifully-restored Baroque-like interior. There’s even “luxury boxes” on the second floor. President Obama lit a candle for peace while there.
Located at An der Frauenkirche 12, 01067 Dresden, Germany. Telephone: +49 (0) 351- 6560-6100. Open church visits are free, but special events and tours have admission prices.
The Zwinger
President Obama and German Chancellor Merkel visited one of the most opulent complexes in Dresden, Germany before he left the city on June 5. It was built during the early 18th century by August the Strong, and contains a large courtyard that gave me a peaceful feeling as I walked through it. Currently, the Zwinger contains a number of collections of artwork like the Old Masters Picture Gallery as well as vast porcelain collection that contains 20,000-plus pieces (in German the latter place is called called the Porzellansammlung).
Located at the corners of Sophienstrasse and Ostra-Allee in Dresden, Germany. Admission charges for entries into the museums. Courtyard walking is free.
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Roy A. Barnes attended the German National Tourist Office’s “The Making of Christmas” press trip, but he wasn’t told to write about President Obama’s visit nor how to write about it. Also note that a Euro is currently worth about $1.20 when you see prices quoted. Barnes is a frequent contributor to The Traveler Blog and writes from southeastern Wyoming.
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A Travel Series by Diane Covington
Follow along with Diane as she explores the northern end of the South Island of New Zealand for adventures along the back roads…
Part 4: Catching the updraft above Nelson Lakes National Park, New Zealand
While we were staying at the Alpine Lodge in St. Arnaud, I had the chance to go up in a glider above Nelson Lakes National Park. What an unforgettable experience! Here are my thoughts on that amazing journey through the sky. If you want more information on taking a ride in a glider, check out the online home of the New Zealand gliding clubs.
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The fat brown Jersey cows munched the thick grass, flicking their tails against flies, then moseyed along. They never even glanced over at the light planes that zoomed past on the grassy runway, recently reclaimed from their pasture. The slender gliders raced up and down, landing and taking off, like birds in flight.
To go up in a glider, you get strapped into your seat, then the glider, attached by a cable to a wench, gets towed down the runway till it takes to the air, sort of like launching a kite. You’re taxiing down the runway, then whoosh, up, into the sky. No motor, no sound, just the feel of lifting up fast, carried by the wind. The wench releases, attached to a tiny parachute and billows down to the ground.
Up in the air, the sound of the wind rushing past the wings, a thin Plexiglas cover is all you have between you and the open sky. 1,000 feet above the ground, catching updrafts, lift as they call it, up, then down, circling, just like the ospreys, hawks and vultures, I’ve watched soaring, drifting, circling- -amazing.
I was stunned by the beauty of the perspective, thrilled by the closeness of the treetops, awed by the sensibility of literally “casting our fate to the winds” and depending on the whims of Mother Nature to carry us along.
The sheep and cows below looked like little dots of white cotton or brown fuzz. The sun sparkled off the Plexiglas cover, the clouds danced along the ridges, almost eye level to us now.
It must be one of the most direct experiences of flying that a person could have, except maybe hang gliding. I was reminded of the myth of Icarus who fulfilled his dream of flying but soared too close to the sun and melted the wax holding his wings together and fell to his death.
I’ve had dreams of flying and this felt pretty close. I can see why my friend who was piloting the glider has logged over 600 hours, feeling out the air currents, riding them and soaring through the sky.
How could I have missed this for all these years? Where was I that I didn’t know this wonder?
It felt gentle somehow, like we were riding Mother Nature, in some sync with her moods and fancies, flowing, natural like a bird. It felt like she smiled at us in a playful way, played with us a bit, a game of hide and seek, hiding the currents—catch me if you can—down, down, down, then up, up, up, over, always gliding, soaring, falling, then soaring again.
I thought about life–where are the updrafts, the places where I can soar with ease and grace, the wind beneath my wings, carried by something larger than myself, but which I am a part of?
And saw that gliding and life both require that you pay close attention to what is happening, moment by moment. Looking for the gifts, like the updrafts, the lift, which will carry you on.
Diane Covington 2010
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A Travel Series by Diane Covington
Follow along with Diane as she explores the northern end of the south island of New Zealand for adventures along the back roads…
Part 3: Nelson Lakes National Park
It was a three-hour drive from the ocean at Golden Bay to Nelson Lakes National Park, up in the mountains.
We chose the small village of St. Arnaud, right on the shore of the sparkling waters of Lake Rotoiti. There is so much outdoor fun available here, it’s hard to know what to do first.
On the lake, you can kayak, windsurf, water-ski, canoe and swim. Or try your hand at fly-fishing in the nearby rivers, for some of the best brown and rainbow trout fishing in New Zealand. Or kayak or raft down the river.
There are hiking trails all over the park, with an extensive network of tracks and huts for overnight stays for backpackers.
I spent my days bike riding and then jumping in the lake to cool off.
We found a gem of a lodge, the Alpine Lodge, a five-minute walk from the lake.
The lodge is a perfect place if you want to be outside and active all day, then come back to a clean and comfortable room, shower and have a gourmet dinner. We enjoyed delicious entrees such as Chicken Curry, a Vegetarian Burrito and an amazing Burger in their bar at the Lodge.
Just next door, their café serves breakfast and lunch. I had a delectable chocolate and berry muffin for breakfast and for lunch, a bacon, cheese and vegetable quiche. All their breads and baked goods are made from scratch. They buy local produce and support local businesses, including serving beers brewed in nearby Nelson and of course, New Zealand wines.
Owner Alexandra Unterberger, who runs the lodge with her fiancée Leighton Marshall, comes from a family with over 300 years history in the hotel and restaurant business. They really go out of their way to make guests feel welcome.
“We’re here every night with the guests. We enjoy having that personal touch,” Alexandra said.
The Alpine Lodge and St Arnaud are centrally located for sightseeing day trips. It’s one hour to Nelson, for arts and crafts and Blenheim for wine tasting. Or the West coast for dramatic coastal scenery, including blowholes.
We had a two-story studio with a view of the creek and felt at home during our three-day stay.
“We want to provide clean rooms, good service and good food,” Alexandra said.
And they did. We’ll go back for sure.
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Diane Covington 2010
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A Travel Series by Diane Covington
Follow along with Diane as she explores the northern end of the south island of New Zealand for adventures along the back roads…
Part 2: Golden Bay
I’m visiting a friend who lives in Golden Bay, known for its beautiful and remote beaches. It’s at the north end of the south island and there’s only one two-lane road in and out, so the quiet is palpable. The ocean sparkles on one side of the road and the sheep and cows graze on the other. The skies at night are amazing—you’re gazing up at the Milky Way and a different sky from the northern hemisphere.
The back roads are perfect for biking, fairly flat and not too many cars. For Americans, we just have to remember to drive on the left!
Here are some must see stops in this area:
Farewell Spit Bird Sanctuary
Farewell Spit nature reserve, a bird sanctuary particularly important for migratory shorebirds and including over 90 species of birds, juts out into the ocean at the northern most tip of the south island of New Zealand. The 35km long peninsula looks like a fish hook as it curves around. Public access is restricted so you have to go on an organized tour to see it.
We took a long and relaxing bike ride along Golden Bay. Feeling the fresh salt air on my face and the freedom of pedaling along on a bicycle, followed by a jump in the cool ocean waves were great tonics for jet lag!
Wharariki Beach
It’s a hike (20-30 minutes) from the parking lot, but well worth it. Very dramatic landscape, views, sand dunes, caves and ocean. The day we went it was very windy, so go when it is calm if you can. It would be a great spot to spend the day with a picnic and for sure, bring your camera.
We’re off the Nelson Lakes National Park next so stay tuned!
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Diane Covington 2010
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A Travel Series by Diane Covington
Follow along with Diane as she explores the northern end of the south island of New Zealand for adventures along the back roads…
Part 1 – From jet lag to stunt pilot:
First day in New Zealand and I become a stunt pilot—even with jet lag! Read on and catch the two videos for more fun. Photos too. Enjoy!
If you’ve ever dreamed of being a stunt pilot, soaring high among the clouds and doing rolls and loops, this is your chance!
Want to be a stunt pilot—at least for a day? Well now you can. New Zealand is living up to its reputation of the “land of wild and crazy adventures” and this one leaves bunjee jumping in the dust, literally.
In the little town of Motueka , at the north end of New Zealand’s south island, near Nelson and Golden Bay, there’s a small grassy airstrip where a very brave pilot lets you pay him to take you up in his open air bi-plane, and not only fly it, but do turns, rolls and loops.
You’re soaring through the air, snoopy style, goggles, hair flying, looking down on the green hills and valleys of New Zealand, the ocean sparkling below, farms with sheep and cows grazing. In the distance, there’s Farewell Spit, the narrow peninsula that extends out like a fish hook at the top of the island, then the curving shore and white sands of Golden Bay and the wilderness of Abel Tasman National Park.
You take the plane up to 7,000 feet, feeling the air temperature cool as you climb higher and the wind rushes by. The pilot, Vince, sitting right behind you, gives you instructions—‘nose up, nose down, now move the stick to the left, that’s good…’
When it’s time to roll, he says simply ‘hard left, hard left, hard left’ and over you roll!
It was terrifyingly wonderful and that was with jet-lag—I’d just gotten off the plane from California a few hours before. Don’t miss this chance to be a stunt pilot. Vince is an amazing coach and you can do it!
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Diane Convington 2010
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April 13 has a special significance in Thailand as it is Songkran Day, the traditional Thai New Year Festival which until 1940 used to be the Siamese New Year. The festival is the most important in the Thai Calendar and is traditionally held when the sun moves out of Pisces.
As the nation prepares to party through its third new year in 4 months, Chiang Mai is as ever, dubbed as the center of activity and it is there that the celebrations are most vigorous.
If you’re intending to be there at the hub of things, you should be already booked. If not, be quick. The main events take place over three days starting on the 13th.
Firecrackers are let off at dawn on the 13th as people start to spring clean their homes. In the afternoon Buddha images from local temples are paraded through the streets as people toss lustral water (water scented with perfume and flowers) to bathe the images.
Ceremonies are not held on the second day which separates the new year from the old.
The new year begins on the third day but water throwing takes place continuously throughout the festival. Daily drenching begins as early as nine in the morning and goes on till sundown. It continues for at least four days and sometimes longer in the countryside. Drive slowly and beware of water hitting you at high velocity, especially if you’re on a motorcycle.
The entire nation arms itself with buckets, squirt guns and anything that can project water – and drench all but monks, the aged and mothers carrying very young children. Wear clothes that you can be wet and happy in. Foreigners are always a welcome target so protect cameras, wallets, etc. in plastic bags.
Of course, the activity is not limited to Chiangmai as the whole country goes water crazy in the hottest month of the year. Perfect.
Bangkok tends to suffer a longer bout of drenching as does Pattaya which virtually sees 2 weeks of revelry with the follow up Pattaya festival immediately after the new year.
For those in less of a party mood, more traditonal style parades etc.. can be seen in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan or the northern villages.
However, the watchword is to book early or be disappointed. Hotels book up far in advance and even guest houses are usually at capacity before Songkran day. Rail and bus tickets are impossible to find at festival time as relatives head up country to visit their families. The whole country is in transit for a week.
For 2001, the beach destinations have been fully booked for some time and it is the northern towns, other than Chiangmai and Kanchanaburi province that always show the last of the accommodation availability.
In this respect, that’s good value for money as most upcountry destinations do not increase their prices anywhere near the escalated rates of the beach resorts. An unwelcome recent addition is the noticeable “compulsory” Songkran dinner which has started to appear on some hotel reservations
Neighbouring Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and even Nepal have similar festivals at this time so its perhaps the busiest annual period for the region, not just for the land of smiles. Venturing out of the country either for the holidays or to avoid a drenching can therefore be similarly frustrating when booking accommo-dations and flights. It also makes Malaysia and Indonesia very popular destinations, even allowing for Easter visitors.
For many expatriates it is an ideal opportunity to make headway on the sightseeing within the region that requires those extra few days. Such holidays involve Teman Negara and Mount Kinabalu along with Sandakan Orangutan sanctuary in Malaysia. In China, Yangtze cruises prove more than popular, especially with a Great Wall and Terracotta Warrior excursion thrown in. A visit to Japan prior to the May blossom festival will always be a cheaper(!) treat than a month later. For the Phillipines, Cebu and Boracay seem closer and worthwhile when the extra days are taken into consideration. Sri Lanka, although celebrating the Easter festival is one of those destinations also requiring that little extra time to see enough of it – and Songkran is a perfect time for that.
All in all it’s a big break as well as a third new year for all those resident in the kingdom. As ever, the fact of actually being here offers a tremendous choice of how to spend that holiday time.
Personally, I am staying put to take advantage of an empty capitol and to see all of those things I have been unable to reach during those heavy traffic days – Wat Indrawiharn, Kamthieng House, Vimanmek, Suan Pakkard, Muang Boran – as well as also enjoying some non-noise pollution days.
Seriously, Bangkok is a treat at any holiday time, but especially at Songkran when it is the least busy and everything is so attractively accesible. Of course, I will get wet, but not behind the ears. Sawasdee Pimai.
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Tom Aikins is a Bangkok-based journalist who runs an Online Marketing Excellence business at http://www.marketingbangkok.com and does IT consulting at http://www.itready.co.th
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/exotic-locations-articles/songkran-day-in-thailand-1634396.html
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